Small Heath Leadership Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 May 2022

Pupils value the education that they receive at Small Heath Leadership Academy. They say that staff go out of their way to help them when they need it. Pupils say that the 'STAR' values of service, teamwork, ambition and respect create a community in which diversity is celebrated. They say that bullying is rare and that teachers deal with it when it does happen. Pupils really value the extensive opportunities they have to take on leadership roles in the school. Pupils support each other well. For example, new pupils for whom English is an additional language are supported by pupil mentors who help them integrate well into the school. Pupils value the support that they receive from their peers, which they say is one of the strengths of the school. Leaders have high aspirations for their pupils, and pupils work hard in lessons to meet these expectations. Leaders work with the wider community to make sure that pupils are aware of the opportunities that they have outside of school. For example, links with top universities allow pupils to learn about higher education and employer visits explore careers pupils may follow.

What the school should improve

• Leaders have not made sure that all teachers use their checks on pupils' learning to inform their teaching. This means that gaps in knowledge are not always remedied quickly enough. Leaders should make sure that teachers use the information they gain from these checks of understanding to inform their practice.
• Leaders have not made sure that pupils have sufficient opportunities to deepen and extend their knowledge in lessons. This stops pupils from retaining important information and using this knowledge to apply it to new situations. Leaders should ensure that curriculum plans provide effective opportunities for pupils to extend their learning and remember more over time.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)